NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Topps Meat Co. on Saturday expanded a recall of ground beef from about 300,000 pounds to 21.7 million pounds , one of the largest meat recalls in U.S. history .

The recalled products are all ground beef patties with various brand names .

In a statement , the Elizabeth , New Jersey , company said the hamburger patties may be contaminated with E. coli O157 : H7 , a bacterium that can cause severe diarrhea and cramps , as well as other complications .

A statement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture said 25 illnesses are under investigation in Connecticut , Florida , Indiana , Maine , New Jersey , New York , Ohio and Pennsylvania .

The ground beef products being recalled have a `` sell by date '' or a `` best if used by date '' between September 25 , 2007 , and September 25 , 2008 , Topps ' statement said . Watch the latest on the beef recall ''

The packages also have the marking `` Est. 9748 '' inside the USDA mark of inspection .

Tuesday , the company announced a recall of about 331,000 pounds of hamburger meat , according to the USDA .

`` Because the health and safety of our consumers is our top priority , we are taking these expansive measures , '' said Vice President of Operations Geoffrey Livermore in the statement .

`` Topps is continuing to work with the USDA , state departments of health , retailers and distributors to ensure the safety of our consumers . Additionally , we have augmented our internal quality control procedures with microbiologists and food safety experts . We sincerely regret any inconvenience and concerns this may cause our consumers , '' Livermore said .

This is the company 's first recall in its 65 years of business , the statement said .

Consumers who find the products at home are asked to cut off the UPC code and return it to Topps for a full refund , then dispose of the product immediately , Topps spokeswoman Michelle Williams said .

The company said to avoid E. coli , consumers should wash hands thoroughly after handling the beef .

Topps set up a toll-free recall help line at -LRB-888-RRB- 734-0451 .

Williams said because the products may have been produced up to a year ago , many of them have already been safely consumed .

Production in the ground beef area of the company 's plant in Elizabeth has been shut down until all the investigations are complete , Williams said in a phone interview .

`` We 're working with the USDA and the CDC -LSB- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -RSB- and conducting our own investigation , '' she added .

The products , all ground beef patties and hamburgers with various brand names , were distributed mainly in the northeastern United States , but went to retailers in many other areas of the country as well , Williams said .

While the sheer size of the recall is large , two other companies have been involved in larger recalls .

In 2002 , Pilgrim 's Pride recalled more than 27 million pounds of poultry , and Hudson Foods recalled 25 million pounds of ground beef in 1997 . E-mail to a friend

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Topps Meat Co. hamburger patties may contain E. coli bacteria

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New Jersey plant 's grinding operation shut down

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As many as 25 cases of illness recorded in eight states